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This Mom Is Looking For The Man Who Helped Her During A Rough Plane Ride

Most people get really annoyed when they’re on a plane with a crying baby, but one mother’s story shows us: there can be another way.

Jessica Rudeen wrote a Facebook post that went viral on Saturday about meeting a man on a plane that helped her when she was struggling with both a crying infant and a crying toddler.

She writes:

My first flights with an infant and a toddler started out with a little panic when we boarded the plane. My 4 month old was screaming his head off because, due to a series of unexpected events, I was unable to nurse him before boarding the plane. My 3 year old, who was excited before boarding the plane, lost her nerve and began screaming and kicking “I want to get off the plane! I don’t want to go!”

I honestly thought we’d get kicked off the plane. So with two kids losing their minds, I was desperately trying to calm the situation. This man reached for the baby and held him while I forced a seatbelt on Caroline, got her tablet and started her movie.

Once she was settled and relatively calmed, he distracted her so that I could feed Alexander. Finally, while we were taxiing, the back of the plane no longer had screams. During the flight, he colored and watched a movie with Caroline, he engaged in conversation and showed her all the things outside.

By the end of the flight, he was Caroline’s best friend. I’m not sure if he caught the kiss she landed on his shoulder while they were looking out the window. Amazingly, we had the same connection in Charlotte to Wilmington, a connection he navigates frequently for work.

He helped us get off the plane and led us to the next gate with Caroline in hand. If that wasn’t enough, he changed his seat on the next flight to sit in our row to help us. This guy, Todd, showed me kindness and compassion that I’ve never known from another person. His wife, he said, had a similar experience when their two boys were young and a stranger showed her the same kindness.

The two not only met, they were interviewed on Fox 4. Todd Walker is from Kansas, and he said that helping Rudeen was the most natural thing in the world.

“I saw was a mom looking around the corner at me with big eyes, and two kids in tow that were both having a bad day. They were both screaming,” Walker said. But things calmed down quick once Rudeen got a little help.

“Within a couple minutes, they were fine. Before we even had taken off, and before we landed I’d been coloring with Caroline, and looking out the window, and seeing different things,” Walker said.

He added, “If you think you can, or if they certainly ask you for it step up and help them. You know, it doesn’t cost you anything to step up and give them a hand.”

“His kindness made such a huge impact on my life, and it’s making an impact on other people’s lives too,” Rudeen added.